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White River National Forest
Source: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/whiteriver The White River National Forest is located near the center of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, approximately three hours west of Denver on I-70. White River is consistently ranked as one of the top parks in the nation for recreation use. The Forest provides eleven ski areas, several national trails, sites for campgrounds and day picnics, as well as over a half-million acres of backcountry enjoyment. White River is home to hundreds of different activities during all seasons. The elevation of the park ranges from 5,000 to 14,000 feet, making it a perfect home to the world renown ski resort Vail.
Source: http://www.vail.com/trailmap.10.asp The Vail Ski Resort in Central Colorado is an important part of the White River National Forest as it draws millions of skiers and tourists during the ski season to the park. It generates a large magnitude of attention for the park and as of recently has become the center of an important debate concerning the use of national park land. As the resort has grown over the years, it has drawn attention to itself by creating a large impact on the surrounding environment. In recent years, Vail has drawn criticism over its impact on the indigenous Canadian Lynx the inhabits much of White River. Vail's expansion plans have threatened to drive the lynx to near extinction levels and many are pushing the government to interject controls so as to protect the lynx, in addition to the rest of the environment.
Source: http://lynx.uio.no/jon/lynx/lxpoli-e.htm
Source: http://bcn.boulder.co.us/environment/vail/ Outside Links:
White River National Forest Homepage
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